How to make sushi rice – the complete recipe
Preparing sushi rice may seem complicated, but once you get started, you’ll find out that it is a bit like cooking ordinary rice, but with vinegar added to it, and a dash of Japanese technique. There are four key steps to making sushi rice: washing, soaking, cooking, and seasoning. Let’s review everything you need to know:
Choosing the right rice
Japanese short-grain rice has a higher starch content than long-grain rice and takes a different amount of water than long-grain rice. Short-grain rice is stickier and better for holding its shape when rolled into sushi. Long-grain (‘regular’) rice just isn’t sticky enough for sushi-making. Here is what a bag of sushi rice should look like.
Measuring sushi rice
Prepare 1 cup of sushi rice per 3 sushi rolls. Each roll makes up 6-8 little sushi pieces. 2 rolls are recommended per person, depending on personal preferences. Wash the rice (1 cup = 3 rolls) with running water for 1-2 minutes until there is no more starch coming out of it. For best results, let the rice soak in water for 30 minutes to help soften it.
After washing the rice, place it gently in a pot and add more water than rice. It should be about 1.2:1 in favor of the water. That is 20% more water compared to the rice. Do not add more water or you will end up with dough instead of rice.
Still not sure? Check out our Quantity Calculator.Cooking the rice
Cook the rice on high heat at first, stirring every minute or two until the water boils. Then, lower the heat to low and cover the pot. After 6-8 minutes, check the water level – if there is no more water, only bigger grains of rice in the pot, the rice is ready. If not, check back every minute, making sure not to burn the rice at the bottom.
Quantity calculator
We are here to help with all the calculations. Select how much you will be making, and the calculator will provide you with the quantities. Have a go!
Units:
Taking out the rice
When taking the rice out of the pot, only use a wooden spoon to handle the cooked rice. A metal spoon will cause the rice to be damaged, and it can also react with the vinegar that we will be adding later.
Second, do not scrape the rice out from the bottom of the pot. If it comes out easily, that is great. Otherwise, do not use it. The rice will taste bad. Put it in wooden or plastic bowls to chill.
Seasoning the rice
Rice vinegar mixed with sugar and salt is essential for giving sushi its distinct combination of flavors. If you neglect this part, your sushi won’t quite taste like sushi should. It is not recommended to substitute rice vinegar as most types of vinegar are much too strong. Rice vinegar is more delicate and blends in perfectly with the rice.
How to season the rice
- For 3 cups of dry sushi rice, use 0.5 cup of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Use only rice vinegar! Any other kind of vinegar will taste bad. Alternatively, you could use sushi rice seasoning powder.
- Mix together in a small pot on medium heat until all the solids are mixed together.
- Pour the mixture onto the rice and mix well. That should take a minute or two.
- Let the rice cool down for a few minutes until it reaches room temperature. Don’t put the rice in the fridge to make it cool faster – that will damage the rice. You can, however, use a fan, A/C, or put it by the window.
Important tip – Some people prefer less seasoned sushi rice. Also, the strength of rice vinegar can vary depending on the brand. If it is your first time making sushi rice, or you are uncertain, prepare half the amount of seasoning described above. Mix it with the rice and taste.
Trust your own palette if you want to use the full amount or not.
Final thoughts
That’s it, you’ve made it! For the sake of the internet, please take a moment to share your experience in the comments section below. Did it turn out as you expected? Better? Ask any questions you have, somebody will be able to answer, and it might even help other folks with the same question in the future. And most importantly, enjoy making sushi!
Made sushi for the first time today and followed this recipe, everything turned out perfect 🙂
Thank you! Blessings…
First time making sushi rice and it tastes great. I had to add more water as it cooked because it was still crunchy but the seasoning was spot on. Is there a sweetener version so I no sugar could be added?
I used to make Sushi all the time in Australia and gave up when I came to the UK, as I could t find the rice flavouring anywhere…. however your information is
Just awesome! Thank you I had forgotten how to get the sushi rice correct and used to use Sushinoko powder. So I’m going to use Mitsukan and or another type an hope it tastes as good! You are right, the rice is everything! Thank you for the fantastic step by step explanation.
Thanks for the kind words, good to hear you enjoyed it! If you are around London, you can find all the right condiments at the “Japan centre” in soho. It’s truely a wonderful place for any Japanese cooking needs.
I made the recipe and it was most perfect. Thank you especially for the calculator which turned out to be very useful! It didn’t get a result with exact quantities for 2.5 cups of rice, but I was able to easily estimate by going up and down to get an idea.
My only issue is the rice is not cooked completely (it stays a bit crunchy). I haven’t been able to perfect the taste yet.
Hey Elfi – Thanks for writing, asking is the first step!
If the rice stays crunchy, it means it didn’t get enough water. That should not happen if the following applies:
1. You used the right type of rice.
2. You used the right water to rice ratio.
3. You used a proper lid.
Hope you get a better results next time.
We don’t use cups here in the UK, so I don’t understand the measurements 😕
Cups are an easy measurement as a bridge between American and metric measurements.
If you don’t live in: Burma, Liberia, or the USA – you might like to know 1 Cup (US) equals ~236ml.
1 American cup is pretty much the same as 1 standard English mug. Not the football kind, the kind you drink tea out of.
This is great and the only recipe I use
I love the way you presented the recipes – easy to understand. Thanks.
looks good but way to much reading, better if you can simplify for those just needing to make sushi rice.
Sam. You’re a bit of a tadger…
We have used this recipe often on the stove top with consistent success. Do you have ratios for a rice cooker? We typically make enough to feed 8 people, maybe three cups of rice?
Can you leave it for a couple of hours before you make the actual sushi roll
less than 2 hours
I have made this 5 times now using Brown rice as a substitute, raw sugar instead of white and freshly ground pink Himalayan seasalt. The rice and taste is perfect every time. I followed the method as written. So far the best I have come across. The brown rice works lovely and my son just adores these with avocado in the roll. 5 stars!!
Hello i just want to know if the cup size you are referring to for the rice , is like the standard cup we use also for baking? Some site refers to the cup that comes with our rice cooker which is really small. Really looking forward to your guidance Thank you!!!
They mean the cup that comes with the rice cooker. It makes sense, if they meant a big tea mug (250ml), this recipe wouldn’t be for 4 but 8 people.
tea mug and measuring cup are two different thing though so the question wasn’t silly at all
Would it be an issue to use stevia instead of the white sugar
Try it and see what happens. Since, I am assuming, it comes in a powder form you will need to use less. That I will guess maybe by 50%.
Won’t work as well,, especially because it’s mainly the sugar that makes the rice so sticky
Can i use any alternative for seasoning? Maybe White vinegar for instance?
You can, it just won’t taste as perfect. But it will taste fine. Just use a little less (I’d say 20-30 percent less) regular vinegar.
Guys I am confused about the amounts, as you write “cups” of rice, but there are dozens of cup sizes, on the other hand for the vinegar and so you write “tablespoons” which are all equal in their size
Metric cup sizes and tablespoon sizes have been been standard in cooking since before you were born. Buy them at the store.
It came out really well! And I heeded the advice to add half- that was nearly enough for me- added a little more and that was perfect! Thank you
Thank you for the recipe! Worked out great. Best sushi rice I’ve ever made (legit I’ve tried about 6 times and haven’t had it come out well.. this is by far the best I can’t wait to make it into sushi).
Literally the best recipe ever! Tx alot! Came out perfect.
What is the amount of water I should use to cook 3 cups of rice at high altitude? Thanks
I made sushi for my family tonight and it was a hit! Thank you for such easy to follow instructions.
Just a question: with the leftover sushi rice can you make onigeri and freeze them? If so, what kind of filling freezes best? Thanks in advance.
Do you by chance have instructions for making sushi rice in an instant pot? I’ve found a few and they don’t turn out right. We have a rice maker, love our sushi rice made in it, but are trying to conserve counter space by using one appliance rather than two.
Thank you.
I use 2 cups of rice, minimum (follow your pressure cookers guidelines for water for 2 cups of rice). Rinse the rice. Water must be clear. I add about 5ml of salt although this is optional with sushi rice. I put mine pressure cooker on steam. Let it steam for 10min. Do NOT have “Keep Warm” function set. Once done leave in pot for 10 min to let the steam off naturally. After 10 min release any remaining steam. Mix in your sushi mixture and wait for it to cool.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!! I just made it for the first time and it was pretty much on the spot in the sushi rice flavor.
Just finished the rice !! This recipe made it so easy to follow and it turned out very good!